BIOLOGY

LESSON 1

Biology

The study of living organisms.

Bios

A Greek word meaning 'life'.

Logos

A Greek word meaning 'study'.

Evolution

The study of the origins and history of life and once living things.

Anatomy

The study of the structures of living things.

Ecology

The study of how living things interact with one another.

Physiology

The study of how living things function.

Aristotle

The first to classify living things based on their habitats; known as the Father of Biology.

Galen

Greek physician known as the Father of Anatomy; first to dissect apes and pigs.

Andreas Vesalius

Conducted the first dissection on human anatomy; discovered Comparative Anatomy.

William Harvey

Showed conclusively that the heart pumps blood and that blood circulates.

Marcelo Malpighi

Italian physician and anatomist; founder of microscopic anatomy.

Anton van Leeuwenhoek

First to use a microscope; discovered microorganisms called 'animalcules'.

Charles Darwin

Wrote the book 'On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection'.

Importance of Biology

Helps find cures for diseases, preserve the environment, appreciate biodiversity, develop technologies, and improve agriculture.

Botany

The study of plants.

Zoology

The study of animals.

Dendrology

The study of trees and their history.

Mycology

The study of fungi.

Paleobotany

The study of fossil plants.

Phytopathology

The study of plant diseases.

Agriculture

The application of botany principles to grow food plants.

Pomology

The study of cultivating fruits.

Arachnology

The study of arachnids such as scorpions and spiders.

Conchology

The study of mollusks.

Embryology

The study of animal development.

Entomology

The study of insects.

Herpetology

The study of reptiles.

Mammalogy

The study of mammals.

Ornithology

The study of birds.

Ichthyology

The study of fishes.

Virology

The study of viruses.

Genetics

The study of heredity.

Microbiology

The study of microorganisms such as bacteria and viruses.

Biochemistry

The study of biochemical processes in the body.

Bacteriology

The study of bacteria.

Parasitology

The study of organisms that live in or on other organisms and cause diseases.

Taxonomy

The study of classifying plants and animals.

Histology

The study of tissues.

Paleontology

The study of fossils and the preserved remains of organisms.

Morphology

The study of the structures and forms of organisms.

Chemical Level

The level of organization that involves how atoms interact and combine into molecules.

Cell Level

The basic structural and functional unit of organisms.

Tissue Level

A group of similar cells and the material surrounding them.

Organ Level

Composed of two or more tissue types that together perform one or more common functions.

Organ System Level

A group of organs classified as a unit because of a common function.

Organism Level

A complex of organ systems that are mutually dependent upon each other.

Essential Characteristic of Life - Organization

Specific relationship of the many individual parts of an organism.

Essential Characteristic of Life - Metabolism

The ability to use energy to perform vital functions.

Essential Characteristic of Life - Responsiveness

The ability of an organism to sense changes in its environment.

Essential Characteristic of Life - Growth

Increase in size of all or part of the organism.

Essential Characteristic of Life - Development

Changes an organism undergoes over time.

Essential Characteristic of Life - Reproduction

The formation of new cells or new organisms.